


What You Know

by mikaelac96



Series: The Ellie Stark Saga [3]
Category: Iron Man (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-29
Updated: 2016-11-11
Packaged: 2018-08-18 11:22:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 13,885
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8160413
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mikaelac96/pseuds/mikaelac96
Summary: Ellie might have run from her life, but that doesn't mean that the craziness wouldn't follow her.





	1. Chapter 1

I pulled into the hospital, and went straight to the ER. Darcy got the EMT's attention with a whistle, and she gestured to the back seat as I pulled the door open.

"Hey, we got an unconscious hunk over here! Do you mind?!" I laughed at her, rolling my eyes. She grinned.

The EMT's rushed over, getting Thor onto a gurney. I walked in after him with my wallet shoved into the pocket of my leather jacket, and Darcy by my side. All I can say, is that if anyone -and I mean  _ anyone _ -went to tell me that I needed to get the police involved, I'd whip out the first piece of identification I set eyes on. And I'd run off, refusing to look back. Not even if Darcy asked me to.

I went up to the nurse at the desk, and gestured to the guy as the EMT's rushed him in.

"That's our guy. Unconscious, because he was tasered, but before that he was in a car accident. The other driver only grazed him, though, there shouldn't be any damage. The guy looks all muscled out." The nurse frowned slightly, but nodded, typing away.

"Name."

"He said it was Thor." She frowned fully. She looked up from her computer at me, with a raised brow. I shrugged at her questioning look. "I don't know him. Neither did the other driver."

"Now, you're saying other driver. Were there two cars involved in the accident?" I nodded.

"Yeah, mine and her friend's." I gestured to Darcy. "I swerved before I hit anything, though. No damage done to the vehicles, or the people in them. Just that guy. He was walking around, acting like he was intoxicated." She nodded, typing away as I spoke. "There isn't any need to report the accident, is there?"

"As long as there wasn't a collision involving the two vehicles, no. There's no need for a report." I nodded again.

"Okay. Thank you." I smiled politely, and walked out the door, with Darcy following, but not before she told the nurse, ever so proudly, that  _ she _ had tasered Thor. I smirked, and climbed into the driver's side, looking out the window at her. "Hey, you need a ride? I could  _ really _ use a tour guide."

"Absolutely." She climbed into the passenger's seat, and patted my head as she settled in. "Besides, I like you. You have a good taste in music." I smiled at her, and she grinned right back, pointing which way as I pulled up to the road. "Go right. This road leads straight to town."

I followed the road like Darcy had said, and drove into a small town. It wasn't even an eighth of the city I'd just left. She pointed out the 7-11, and the motel right next to it. I pulled into the 7-11, and as soon as I parked, Darcy jumped out. She grabbed my arm when I went to get the pump, and dragged me to the sidewalk, pointing to the building at the end of the road. It had a neon sign on the top, pointing straight into the sky, and the walls were mostly glass windows, a trailer sat a few feet away from it.

"That's where we are. The geek squad. You plan on staying for a while, then stop by. I'm sure Jane has something that can keep you busy. It's the least we can do, since you saved our butts back there." She turned to me, and then smiled, holding out a hand. I shook it. "Thanks for the ride."

"No problem." She turned, and walked down the street, waving a peace sign over her head. I rolled my eyes, laughing at her again.

Darcy was nice. She didn't know who I was, and I liked that. No one, not a single person here, they might not know who I am. Maybe...

I shook the thought as soon as it popped into my head, turned on my heel and walked back over to my car, grabbing the pump.

_ Don't start thinking like that. You're going to get a motel room. You're gonna sleep. Maybe eat the next morning. And then, you're gonna check out, and you're gonna leave. You're gonna get as far away from civilization as you possibly- _

Well. Those scientists didn't recognize me, maybe no one else will. Maybe, just  _ maybe,  _ I can-

Ugh. Fuck.

* * *

 

I grumbled, peeking an eye open at the blinding sun. I rolled over, and crawled out of bed, on hands and knees, into the bathroom, hating the heat I was being faced with.

I don't mind the heat. I'm neutral about the weather, I just dress properly for every occasion. But dry heat, like the heat I'm in, I could NOT stand. It makes me extremely dehydrated by the time I wake up, and is the only reason why I stay away from Vegas at all costs.

I managed to get ready and get out of the motel in less than an hour. I didn't bother drying my hair, the heat would do it for me. I packed up my bag, but stared at my phone for a second, as I picked it up from the nightstand.

Dad's words echoed in my ears. Pepper's worried eyes clouded my mind. I knew I should call someone, anyone, but I couldn't. I couldn't even consider facing one of them right now. This time is for me, and for me only. No distractions. So I stuffed the phone in my pocket, grabbed the duffel, and walked out of the room.

* * *

 

I tossed my duffel into my backseat, rolled up the windows and locked the car up before I walked down to the diner. I took a seat at the counter, and the waitress at the counter came over, smiling at me.

"Can I get you somethin' to drink, sweetie?"

"Coffee, please." I flipped over the mug in front of me, and she gave me a generous amount. I smiled at her politely. "Thank you." I put the mug down, and grabbed a couple creamers and the sugar sitting next to me. I jumped, as I heard a crash, and turned around in my seat to find the source. Jane was apologizing, as she scolded Thor about smashing a mug. Another waitress went over and cleaned up the mess. Darcy raised an eyebrow as she looked between Jane and Thor, but then her eyes landed on me, and she grinned.

"Hey Ellie, get your ass over here." I frowned, as I noticed that Thor looked at me as well. I grabbed my coffee, and moved over to the table, pulling up a chair next to Darcy and Thor; hesitantly, I might add. Darcy grinned at me, and so did Thor.

"Greetings, fair maiden!" I frowned further, but smiled slightly, turning to Darcy with a questioning look. She shrugged. I turned back to Thor, and pointed to his plates.

"Hungry?" He nodded, smiling at me further.

"Famished. I don't believe I've thanked you, for helping me. Please, take this." He pushed a plate of hash browns over to me. I shook my head, pushing it back.

"Oh no, I couldn't. I was just gonna get something to go after I had my coffee."

"You're leaving?" I looked between the three other people, my eyes landing on Darcy's. I nodded slowly.

"Yeah, I can't stand the dry heat. I was hoping to get to Tennessee by eight o'clock tonight." Darcy grabbed my arm, shaking me.

"Oh, but you can't leave! Seriously! How about one more day? Just stay one more day, pleeeeeaaaasssseeee? You're cooler than everyone else around here! You  _ have  _ to stay. I insist upon it." I shook my head hastily, getting desperate.

"It's complicated, Darcy. Really, I have to go. I'd love to stay, you guys seem really nice, but-" I was cut off, when the older guy spoke up.

"No, I think you should stay. Darcy and Thor seem really taken with you. What do you think, Jane?" Jane looked at me this time, and nodded.

"You could even stay with us. I know, there isn't anything wrong with the motel here, but I need to repay you in some way. Here-" She turned to the waitress at the counter. "Izzy, could you get me a plate of eggs, home fries and sausage to go?"

"Sure thing." She smiled at Jane, and Jane turned back to me, smiling triumphantly. I shook my head. But slowly, I nodded at them all.

"Thank you. All of you." Darcy grinned at me. Thor threw his arms around me in a hug. My eyes went wide, and Darcy laughed, as a smile slowly etched itself on my face. I laughed too, and Thor let go of me, just holding me by the shoulders.

"Oh my god, this is goin' on Facebook. Smile." Thor and I looked at Darcy, and she took a picture on her phone. There couldn't be any harm in a picture. Right?

The door to the diner opened, and a couple men walked in. A waitress brought a to-go box over to Jane, and she payed, handing the box to me. I finished the last of my coffee, but my interest piqued, as I heard the men start talking about a crater.

"They're sayin' some kind of satellite landed out in the desert."

"Yeah and we were havin' a good time with it, too, until the Feds showed up." I frowned, but I didn't plan on looking interested.

Dad's eyes would've gone wide. He would've turned to me, looking like a hyper little kid, jumping up and down in his seat.

_ "A  _ satellite?  _ El, c'mon, let's go see if we can find ET. Maybe even a Time Lord. C'mon, let's go, move it. Chop chop, we're wasting daylight!" _

I could literally hear Dad say that, looking all excited, rushing to get me to finish. And then he'd grab me by the shoulders, and push me out the door, leaving whatever money he had in his pocket, and usually, it was a fifty dollar bill. The man carried them like they were one dollar bills, it was ridiculous.

I blinked, looking up at the conversation finally, after getting lost in my thoughts.

"Excuse me, did you say there was a satellite crash?" Jane asked, turning in her seat, along with the old guy and Darcy. The two men talking about it turned around as well.

"Yeah."

"What did it look like, the satellite?" The old guy asked.

"Well, I don't know anything about satellite's, but it was heavy. I mean...nobody could lift it." I frowned again at that description. The men turned away, and started talking to the waitress again.

"They said it was radioactive. I had my hands all over it." I rolled my eyes, but frowned further, as Thor got up. He slapped one of the men on the shoulder, practically scaring the man to death.

"Which way?" He demanded, looking the man directly in the eye.

"Oh, uh...fifty miles west of here." Thor then walked to the door, but the guy kept yelling at him. "I wouldn't waste my time! Looked like the whole army was comin' when we left!" I rolled my eyes. Jane got up, and rushed out the door after Thor. Darcy then got up, along with the old guy. As I walked by the guy at the counter, I leaned in to talk to him.

"Not the army, dumbass. The Men In Black." He frowned at me, but he only got to stare at my back. I smirked, but chased after the rest of the group I'd joined, with my breakfast in hand. Thor literally started going west, just walking, even in the middle of the streets, blocking car's ways. I laughed lightly, frowning at the guy. I caught up with them as they turned the corner.

Apparently, whatever the thing was, it was Thor's. And he was dead-set on getting it back. They stopped in the middle of the road, as Thor and Jane talked.

"If you take me there now, I'll tell you everything you wish to know." Thor stated. I raised an eyebrow.

Yeah. Like THAT hasn't been said before.

"Everything?" Jane asked, clearly questioning his answer as well.

"Yes. All the answers you seek will be yours once I reclaim Mjolnir."

"Myeu-muh?" Darcy asked.

“What's a myeu-muh?" Darcy nodded in agreement with me. She turned to me, and we laughed in sync. The others frowned at us, but only for a second.

"Can I have a word, Jane?" The old guy asked. He walked over to the sidewalk, and Jane followed. I turned to Thor then, frowning at him. Darcy had followed, too, but I felt like I would be intruding if I did. Instead, I looked to my pocket, as my phone started to vibrate. I frowned, but took it out, staring at it. 

It was Pepper's number. Took her long enough to find the papers for the phones I had on me. Oh, and Dad probably told her about S.H.I.E.L.D. Lovely.

"Ellie, is it?" I looked up, my eyes wide. I hadn't told Thor my name. He pointed at it. "May I ask why that device is...making a noise, as if it is moving?" I frowned again.

"It's a phone, Goldilocks. It's vibrating. Someone's trying to call me. Either my dad or my step-mom, but I don't have to answer it. They can wait." He frowned at me.

"If it is your family, it would be important, would it not?" I nodded, shoving the phone back in my pocket as it stopped vibrating.

"Yeah. I know what they're calling about. I just...don't want to deal with it." Jane interrupted, right as the conversation was about to take a wrong turn.

"I'm sorry, but I can't take you."

"Then this is where we say goodbye." He reached out, and grabbed Jane's hand, pressing a kiss to her knuckles. She smiled brightly, and laughed flirtatiously. I smirked in amusement at the sight. 

"Um..." She was giggling, and smiling like a fool. "Thank you?" He smiled at her.

"Jane Foster." He turned to the old man and Darcy. "Erik Selvig." FINALLY. NOW I DON'T HAVE TO ASK. THANK GOD. "Darcy." He then looked at me. "Ellie. Farewell." He bowed his head slightly, looking at all of us at once. And then just at me. "Family is important, Ellie. You should call them, instead of them calling you. You cannot run forever." I frowned. He smiled at me, and then at Jane, before he walked away. Darcy punched my arm, and I turned to her, sharing a frown with her.

"What was  _ that?" _ I shrugged.

"I don't...know, really. Uh." I hesitated. "It's just that, my dad called, him or my step-mom. I didn't answer, I figured it could wait until later." She frowned further. Jane and Erik frowned, too.

"Huh. Weird." I shrugged again. Erik cleared his throat.

"Alright. Back to work." He started to back up, and walked back down the street we'd come from, turning the corner again. Jane walked by his side, while I walked next to Darcy. When we got to the end of that street, Jane rushed forward, as she noticed the truck driving by.

"Hey! That's my stuff!" The truck honked its horn, speeding down the road. We all looked towards the building where they did their research, and Jane took off, with Erik and Darcy behind her. I followed, my eyes going wide when I caught sight of who was there. "What the hell is going on here?!"

"Miss Foster, I'm-"

"Agent Phil Coulson of S.H.I.E.L.D., aka, the Strategic Homeland Intervention Enforcement and Logistics Division." His eyes widened slightly, but he composed himself, turning to me as I spoke up. I marched in front of my group, my guard going up as soon as I approached him. "Hey there, Phil. What are you doing in New Mexico? That precious director of yours give you a new assignment?" He tensed, but nodded.

"Yes. He did." He forced a smile. "And what are you doing here, Ellie? I thought he had you doing something back in California?" I clenched my jaw, tensing slightly.

"My dad thought I'd done enough. And I have to say, I'm thinking the same thing right now." I squinted my eyes, taking a step closer, crossing my arms. "Give these people back their research, Coulson. I'm sure if you ask as nice as you possibly can, they'd be more than willing to help you out."

"Yes! Yes, please, just don't take everything. I'm on the verge of discovering something extraordinary, you can't just-" I slapped a hand over Jane's lips, smiling at Coulson as well as I could without making it look forced.

"See? People can cooperate without you guys having to force them to. Why not give it a try? Hm?" Coulson seemed to consider this, but then looked at one of the agents, as he announced that they'd taken everything. Coulson nodded, turning back to us, and handed a check to Jane.

"I'm sorry, but I can't do that. This should more than compensate for your troubles, though." Jane just stared, struck silent. I glared at Coulson. "Thank you for your cooperation." Coulson then turned to me. "Nice to see you again, Ellie." He smiled at me once more, and then turned around, got into one of the S.H.I.E.L.D. vehicles, and all of them drove away. I clenched my fists tightly, turned to a wall, and punched it, glaring at the vehicles as they disappeared into the desert.

"Ellie?" I turned my head slightly, acknowledging Erik. "How did you get involved with S.H.I.E.L.D.?" I ran a hand through my hair, sighing.

"Because of my dad. I already told you that he's a scientist. I just didn't think I'd have to tell you that..." I stopped. Bit my lip.

"That what?" I hesitated.

"He, uh...he works for Stark Industries. He's one of the top researchers there. S.H.I.E.L.D. asked him to do something for them since Tony Stark wasn't available. They didn't trust his daughter, she didn't seem capable to them. So they asked my dad, and I helped him out. I met Coulson a couple of times." I turned to them fully, shrugging. "I know how S.H.I.E.L.D. works. I thought I could stop them. I'm sorry, Jane." She shook her head, smiling at me kindly.

"It's okay. Thank you, though. If it weren't for you, I would have probably mentioned my book and they would've taken that, too." I smiled back at her.

"Any chance I get to mess with those assholes for the shit that they pull, I'll take." Darcy held up a hand, and I high-fived her. She grinned at me, and Jane chuckled at us. I looked up, and when I saw the way Erik was looking at me, my smile didn't falter. But in my head, I was thinking of any  way I could get away from these guys, any excuse I could make, if they were to confront me. There's no way in hell that these people are finding out who I really am. Not now. And not until I decide otherwise.


	2. Chapter 2

I couldn't describe how bad I felt about all of this. About Jane, and Erik, and Darcy losing all of their research. I felt as if I was the person who led S.H.I.E.L.D. here. That because of who I was, and what'd I done in Cali, they came after me. And punished the closest scientist they could for my actions.

"Years of research...gone." I bit my lip, as we sat on the roof, legs swinging from the edge.

"They even took my iPod." Darcy whined. I frowned. An iPod? _Really?_ Now see, I've tried converting an ordinary iPod into some device that could be used for spy equipment or something. But still, that took a little while. It was kinda stupid, taking an iPod.

"What about the backups?" Erik asked.

"They took our backups. They took the backups of our backups. They were extremely thorough." The guilt ate at me further. Jane sighed. "The only thing left is this book. We, at the least, don't have to start from scratch."

"I just downloaded, like, 30 songs onto there." I laughed at Darcy.

"Could you please stop with your iPod?" Jane turned to me. "Who _are_ these people?" I sighed.

"They're the government. A different division of it, but still a part of it. A very secret part. You don't hear much from these guys."

"I knew this scientist." We all looked at Erik, as he spoke. "The pioneer in gamma radiation. S.H.I.E.L.D. showed up and, um...he wasn't heard from again." I looked down, a feeling of shame coming to me.

My mother might've done something like that. Hell, Gramps could've been the man to chase that scientist Erik was talking about. And I had _helped_ these people.

What have I done?

"That's not going to happen to us. I'm gonna get everything back." I nodded in agreement, placing a hand on Jane's shoulder.

"And you will." She was about to argue, but I cut her off. "Let me handle this for you. You don't understand, Jane, these guys deal with the government's best kept secrets. No one knows the damage they cause better than me." She frowned, looking me in the eyes. I hesitated. "These people tore my family apart. They took my dad away from me, and I think they were the ones that got my mother killed. Please, you need to let me handle this. I can get all of your stuff back. I promise."

"Let me contact one of my colleagues. He's dealt with these people before. I'll e-mail him, and see what he can do." Erik said.

"They took your laptop, too." Darcy said quietly, and he sighed.

"So it's settled. I'll deal with these people, no ifs', ands' or buts' about it." They all looked at me as I stood up, heading back down to the ground.

Oh, Coulson was gonna pay. And he was gonna bring a message to Fury.

No one screws with Ellie Stark. Not a single soul, whether living or dead. And I wasn't joining S.H.I.E.L.D. Not in this lifetime.

 

````````````

 

I pulled up to the site, and drove up to the gate, rolling down my window to get a look at the security guy, holding up my ID.

"Ellie Stark. I'm here to see Agent Coulson." He nodded as soon as I said that, gesturing for the other guards to open the gates.

"Go to the right." I nodded, thanking him before I rolled the window back up, and headed that way. I got out of the car when some other guards stopped me, and followed them to the makeshift building where Coulson was.

"He's right in there. He's been expecting you." I rolled my eyes.

"Of course he has." I grumbled, and opened up the door, slamming it shut behind me. Coulson smiled at me from his desk, and gestured to the seat across from him. I crossed my arms. "I didn't come here for a visit. I want my friend's stuff back, Coulson, and I want it now." He sighed, sitting back.

"I've already told you, Ellie. You can't have it." I slammed my hands on his desk, glaring at him.

"Then tell me why you need it." He paused.

"That's classified information. I cannot, under any circumstances, give it to you. Even with who you are." I glared further. He sighed again, holding his hands up in defeat. "Alright." I took a seat then, crossing my legs. "We believe that this involves beings from another planet. We've been tracking this for a while, and this just isn't normal, so Fury sent me here to investigate. We took Miss Foster's research because she's an astrophysicist. We believe her research holds the key to finding out what all of this is, and how to track it if it happens again." I nodded slowly.

"Okay. I get it. Can you just...give me what you guys don't need? It's the least you can do, Coulson, honestly." He considered this, searching my eyes. A small smile spread on his face, and he nodded.

"That sounds good to me, Cecil-er, Ellie." I frowned, sitting forward when he did that. He kept his cool, stayed completely composed.

So he knew my mom. And, apparently, I reminded him of her. Good to know.

"Why didn't you tell them who I was." He frowned now.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"You didn't say my last name to those people, I want to know why." He paused briefly. And then he stood, walking out the door.

"I don't have to explain myself to you, Miss Stark. I'll have some agents return what we can tomorrow afternoon. It was a pleasure to see you, as always."

"It's only a pleasure because I look like her." That stopped him right in his tracks, and sent him right back into the room, shutting the door calmly and orderly. But as soon as it was shut, he glared at me, sitting across from me. I smirked. "You're gonna tell me what my mother did in this organization, why the plane that killed her was targeted, and what your relationship with her was. I’ve been in the dark for ten years, and I’m a legal adult now. I want to know who she was." He sighed, but nodded.

"Fair enough." I looked at him expectantly, and he sat back in his chair. He was silent and still for a while, what seemed like forever. But he got up, and the next thing I knew, there was a file sitting in front of me. He had grabbed it from his desk, but from where, I wasn't sure. I raised an eyebrow, but he gestured for me to open it. "This is everything on what Cecilia did as an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. Why she died, how she died, what happened between her and your father." I frowned.

"What do you mean-"

"Just read the file. It'll all make sense." I hesitated for a minute, then reached out and grabbed the file. But I didn't dare open it.

Okay, I'll admit. I thought I had wanted to know what happened- _thought_ , being the operative word there. I thought I wanted it, but now, holding it in my hands, I wasn't so sure anymore. I didn't know if I wanted it. But I sure as hell knew that I needed it.

And so I read. I read until the sun fell and the stars came out. I read until my head hurt, until my eyes ached, until my muscles became stiff, and I was stuck in the chair I was sitting in. I read it over and over, trying to comprehend it all. Trying to see where the image I had of her, and this, this description of her, met. Where they totally encompassed who she really was.

She had been recruited by Fury, of course. He'd seen her potential in New York, she ran into a burning building when she was around seventeen and helped civilians out of it since the fire department was taking too long. He'd found out later on how she knew about S.H.I.E.L.D. before being recruited, but she had proven herself, and therefore wasn't an exception in the slightest.

She'd been assigned something that had involved being in California. More specifically, Malibu. It had been a job that had involved-wait for it- _Stark Industries_ in some way, but no other information but that had been written down. Top Secret stuff. But back to the story.

Mom and Dad had an on again/off again relationship their entire lives. They were each other's first loves. It wasn't really a surprise that they had me. No, what surprised me was that she had left him, went back home, and she ran right into the arms of none other than Agent Coulson. They'd been in a relationship, but when he found out about her and Dad, he broke it off. That was two years after I had been born.

I didn't remember Phil. Probably because either A, I wanted to forget everything about my life before the plane crash, and also B, because he had broke it off when I was two. It took Mom two years to figure out that I was of Stark origin, and it took her another six years to get me out of Cali and uproot us to the Big Apple.

She'd wanted better for me. She had wanted to give me a chance to harness my genius, but she didn't want anyone getting suspicious. She was planning on quitting her job at S.H.I.E.L.D. and finding another job, one where she wouldn't have to go on missions constantly. She'd wanted to give me a good life, but it'd been taken away from the both of us on that horrible day. The only thing S.H.I.E.L.D. knew about that day was that the plane had indeed been targeted, and what had shot the plane down, how it had happened, who had survived, the casualties, the passengers, the pilots, the flight attendants. The only thing they didn't know was who had targeted the plane. They just assumed it had been an enemy of my mom's, and that was it.

They could only find traces of her remains. Not enough to collect. My family buried an empty coffin, I was put under the custody of Anthony Edward Stark, and that was that, case closed. That's all they knew. And that's apparently all they'd ever know, they'd traced the trail back as far as they could with no luck. This file was all I'd ever know about my mom's life as a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent. And that was that.

 

````````````

 

I shut the door to Coulson's office behind me, shoving my hands in my pockets. I stared at the ground with my hood over my head, letting the rain pour over me. I walked back to my car at a slow pace, taking my time.

I'd been looking for that information since I was a child. I had so much hope about what I'd find, I'd hoped for some sense of relief, knowing what had happened to my mom. But I just felt empty. I didn't feel any sense of relief. I didn't feel anything, actually. It was something I'd strived for twelve years to find, but this...this didn't help me, in anyway whatsoever.

"Why the long face?" I snapped my head right up, my eyes wide when I met his brown eyes, and wild brown hair.

"H-" He tsked, wagging a finger.

"The name's not Harry, love. It's Quinn. Adam Quinn. Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D." I frowned. He grinned. "Yeah. I was undercover, pretending to be your tutor to keep an eye on your father, and more importantly, you." I blinked.  He chuckled. "So, did you find what you were looking for?" I blinked again, opening my mouth to speak, but was cut off by an alarm going off. I frowned, but Har- _Adam_ took off, with a firm grip on my hand, muttering into a walkie-talkie while he was running. "Stark is secure, I repeat, Ellie Stark is secure."

"What's going on?" I asked, as he stopped running finally, but still held my hand. I resisted to urge to get closer. We were now inside the fortress that had been built on the site of the satellite crash, watching the satellite from above. "Wait, is the satellite a _hammer?"_

"You know about this?" I turned to Adam, and nodded as he looked at me with concern.

"Yeah. Yeah, I heard the locals talking about it. And this is definitely not what I was expecting." I turned back to look at the hammer, and my eyes went wide as I realized, and finally pieced it all together. "Holy shit."

"What is it?" I reached over, and snatched the walkie-talkie from Adam, keeping him away from me at all costs as I spoke into it. I ended up not having to fight him off, which I hadn’t anticipated. He seemed to trust me. Weird.

"Do not hurt him, I repeat, do not hurt the giant hunk with the golden locks and the blue eyes.” I heard Adam chuckle, and smacked him. “He calls himself Thor. He magically popped up in a storm, and you guys probably think I'm high or something, but I swear he thinks he's the God of Thunder. Hammer looks like Thor's. The guy is calling himself Thor, they both showed up on the same night, both showed up through storms. You hurt that guy, you're gonna get your asses sued like nothing." Complete and utter silence. Until Coulson started talking, that is.

_"Stand down. I repeat, stand down."_ I grinned, but handed Adam back his walkie-talkie, and watched as Thor stormed in, drenched in wet mud. He looked at the hammer in glee, as if he were a child, and had finally found his most favorite toy he'd lost weeks ago. He reached out, grabbed the handle, and pulled on the hammer. But it didn't move. He frowned, but tugged again, with no luck. He pulled on it as hard as he could, but it would not budge. Not at all.

He stared at it, for a long moment. And then he looked up at the sky, and yelled at the top of his lungs. My heart broke at the sight of it. And a memory, long forgotten, hit me like a punch to the gut.

 

* * *

 

_It was a perfectly sunny day. Pepper had suggested that Tony take me to the beach, since the weather was perfect, and the waves were great, and I could try my hand at surfing again._

_We'd been there for a couple hours, me trying my best with the measly little boogie board I had. I was getting the hang of it, but I needed an actual surfboard. Tony didn't like to buy things, though. He liked to build things. And he's been really caught up with the company, considering that he'd taken so much time away from it for me, trying to spend as much time as possible with me. I didn't want to bug him, so I'd just have to wait._

_The sky got dark. Lightning struck, thunder rolled, and it started to downpour._

_"Ellie!" I turned, and got myself back to shore before the waves got bad, and ran over to Tony, letting him lift me up and head to the car. "It just had to storm today, didn't it?" I laughed at his frustration. He grinned at me, and as I got into the car, I realized what I'd been forgetting the entire time. My eyes went wide, and I yelled in protest as Tony went to pull out. I jumped out of the car, ignoring the concerned look he shot me, and raced down the beach, stumbling and losing my sandals as I trudged through the sand. I fell a couple of times, and I knew Tony was yelling at me to get in the car, and that I was going to hurt myself, but I couldn't lose it. I just couldn't._

_I fell near the spot where I'd last seen the shell, and dug through the wet sand, finding it a few inches below the surface. I rubbed the sand from it, and held it tight, yelping slightly when Tony lifted me over his shoulder. I smiled sheepishly at him when he set me down, slowly loosening my grip on the shell, staring at it with my cheeks growing red. Tony paused mid-rant, but knelt to my height, getting a good look at the shell, and then looked me in the eye._

_"Cece's favorite thing to do was look for seashells." I nodded. "She always kept a single one, and threw the rest in the ocean. She'd always bury it when no one was looking." I nodded again. Tony smiled. "I have the perfect thing for you to put that in. We're gonna need to clean it off better when we get home." I smiled._

_"Okay. Can we go home now?" He nodded._

_"Yeah. Let's go home."_

 

_````````````_

 

_And, as promised, as soon as we got home Tony found a jar where I could put the shell, and start my own collection. He then went into the kitchen on a mission: fixing macaroni and cheese that was consumable._

_My eyes went wide, as thunder rolled, and the rain picked up even more. A smile spread on my face, and I ran up the stairs to my room, gathering every blanket and pillow I could from there, along with the guest rooms. I threw it all over the railing and into the living room. But when I got back down the stairs, I ran into a problem._

_I couldn't move the furniture by myself.  I pouted, staring at the pile of blankets I'd found._

_"Curse my wimpy muscles." I muttered, staring at the furniture with a glare._

_"What up with the assortment of blankets?" I turned to Tony, biting my lip._

_"Uh..." He raised an eyebrow. I bit my lip. I was afraid Tony would yell at me for making a mess of his living room, but I was honest. “I was trying to make a fort…” He nodded, kneeling to my height for the second time that day._

_"What's the problem, kid." I pointed to the furniture._

_"Your furniture's too big for me to move. I can't do it on my own." I looked Tony in the eyes. "Will you help me?" He slowly grinned at me._

_"Do you even have to ask?" I grinned as well, and shook my head._

_"Nuh-uh." He laughed, and bounced back to his feet, rushing over to the furniture._

_"Come on, bug. We got work to do."_

_Tony moved the couch around, with very little help from me. I could barely move the thing. It looked light, but man, that thing was heavier than a knight's armor. So instead, I grabbed all of the chairs I could without having to bring some down the stairs, and used them to set it up so that I could use every blanket and sheet I'd gotten my hands on. In the end, I sat in the thing, smirking. I giggled, looking around at it._

_"Yes!" Tony ducked down, and looked into the fort, sharing a grin with me. "This is awesome!"_

_"Yeah?" I nodded enthusiastically._

_"Best fort I've made. EVER!" I announced proudly, flinging back onto the pillows, staring at the patterns the light I'd brought into it made._

_"Mind if I join in on the fun?" I shook my head, listening to the thunder rumble, and the crack of the lightning. Tony managed to crawl in, and layed down next to me. We stayed there in silence, just listening, and waiting for the storm to end. A thought came to me, though, and I looked at Tony with a frown._

_"Would it be weird if I started calling you Dad?" He looked at me with wide eyes. I backtracked as soon as he did. "If you don't want me to, then I won't. I just thought, maybe I should-"_

_"No, it, it's okay. I'd love it if you called me that, actually, now that I think about it." I nodded, and Tony smiled at me. "It only took you, what, a few months?" I laughed. "Happy lost the bet then." I pouted._

_"Poor Happy." Tony laughed with me. I yelped, when lightning struck without me knowing. Tony had grabbed me, and hugged me to him. I frowned, looking at him. He smiled sheepishly._

_"Sorry. Guess my papa bear instincts kicked in." I raised a brow. He sighed. "Alright, fine. They kicked in as soon as I laid eyes on you, but you can_ not _, under_ any _circumstances, tell someone that. I have a reputation to uphold." I smiled, laughing. "C'mon. You gotta swear to me that you won't tell a soul. That it's our little secret." I nodded._

_"Science swear." He still didn't let go. So, instead, I just threw my arm over him, hugging a pillow with my free one, listening to the storm. I started to fall asleep, just as the lights grew brighter, and the sun set behind the storm clouds. "Thanks, Dad." He kissed the top of my head, humming in acknowledgement. A blanket was draped over me, as I lost consciousness._

_"No. Thank_ you, _Ellie. For saving me."_


	3. Chapter 3

The way Thor yelled, the pain you heard...I couldn't think of anything else to describe my frustration, the hurt.

My mom had left me with no answers. The only answers I received left me with even more questions, and wanting to know more about S.H.I.E.L.D. It was making me re-think my thoughts on accepting Fury's offer.

Thor was handcuffed and being dragged away from the hammer within seconds. I went to chase after him, but Adam had grabbed me by the arm, and insisted on taking me there himself.

"Why are so dead-set on helping this guy? He just looks like a psycho to me." I slapped Adam's arm.

"He’s not a psycho. He's just a person, like you or me. All he wants is his hammer. Is that so bad?" Adam paused, looking me in the eyes with furrowed brows. I sighed. "Alright, I'll tell you everything. Just, help me help him. Please?" Adam was hesitating. He didn't want to, but he caved.

"Fine. But you owe me, Stark. You owe me big time." I grinned, grabbed his face, and kissed him. I pulled away just as quick, and skipped off to my car.

"I'll be back!" I paused, when I got behind the wheel.

I’d just kissed him. Why had I done that?

 

* * *

 

"He's in jail! He's a criminal!" I rolled my eyes, sighing.

"You didn't see what we saw, Erik." I argued, with Jane standing by my side. Darcy gasped, as she stopped on a page in the book Erik had brought back from the library.

"Look! Look, it's myeuh-muh." Jane moved to stand behind Darcy's other shoulder, and we looked at the book, me with a frown on my face.

"Where did you find this?" Jane asked, looking back up at Erik quickly, and then back to the book. Darcy kept her gaze on Erik.

"The children's section. I just wanted to show you how silly his story was." Jane looked at him, even angrier than she had been.

"But you're the one who's always pushing me to chase down every possibility, every alternative." Erik sat forward now.

"I'm talking about science, not magic." Darcy pulled off her glasses. Oh man. Here she goes.

"Well, 'magic is just science that we don't understand yet.' Arthur C. Clarke." Jane quoted.

"Who wrote science fiction." Erik said, correcting her.

"A precursor to science fact!" Jane argued.

"Is some cases, yeah." Erik corrected her.

"Well, if there is an Einstein-Rosen bridge, then there's something on the other side." I spoke up.

"Yes, and advanced beings could have crossed it!" Jane yelled once more. Erik and Jane were starting to remind me of Dad and I. We'd always argue like this over projects, but we'd act a lot more like children.

"Oh, Jane."

"A primitive culture like the Vikings might have worshipped them as deities." Darcy stated simply. I smirked. Damn, was Darcy good.

"Yes! Yes, exactly. Thank you." Darcy hummed in recognition. Jane turned back to Erik. Then all three of us girls were looking at him. Erik sighed, looking defeated. I smirked.

"It's a beautiful theory, Jane. But you won't be able to convince the scientific community of any of it. Not without hard evidence." Darcy and Jane had poopy diaper faces now. Great. Thanks, Erik.

 

* * *

 

I smirked as Coulson appeared, with Erik and Adam by standing my side.

"Hello again Phil. Can I call you Phil?" He smiled, nodding slowly.

"What is it that you want, Ellie?" So we were getting straight to business then. Great.

"His name is Doctor Donald Blake. I was hoping you could release him into the hands of his co-worker, Doctor Selvig here." I gestured to Erik.

"You have dangerous coworkers, Doctor Selvig." Erik spoke up then, taking the reins from me.

"He was distraught when he found out that you'd taken all of our research. That was years of his life, gone! You can understand how a man can go off like that. A big faceless organization like yours, coming in with their jackbooted thugs and-" He stopped, when Coulson shot him a look. Erik raised his hands in defense. "That's how he put it."

"That still doesn't explain how he managed to tear through our security."

"Steroids! He's a bit of a fitness nut." Erik said it with a smile. He was looking well. Damn good lying, for someone who wasn't me. The agent at the computer called for Coulson, and I heard the beeping. They knew the ID was fake. But Coulson still put on a smile.

"It says here that he's an M.D."

"Well he is! Or, or he was. He, uh, switched careers and became a physicist." He was stammering. Shit, not good. Not good at all. I decided to take over for him.

"He's a brilliant physicist. He's a wonderful man, he's a man in pain." I sighed. Coulson smirked further.

"Agent Q, take them to Doctor Blake, would you?" Adam nodded, and led us to Thor. It was past the complex I'd been in. Thor was in a room surrounded by two-sided mirrors. He looked miserable.

"Oh Donny, Donny, Donny! There you are." Erik went first, and lifted Thor up by his forearm, smiling at him and patting his back. "It's gonna be alright, me and Ellie are taking you home now."

We were out of the complex in seconds, heading towards my car. I could feel Adam's eyes on me, along with Coulson's. I was still on edge, thinking that any second, my cover was going to be blown. And then I'd be in even deeper trouble.

"Doctor Selvig!" We all stopped. My eyes went wide. No. No no no no no no no. "Just keep him away from the bars." Phew. Okay, so that wasn't going to happen.

"I will!" Erik called, and we kept walking.

"Where are we going?" Thor asked. Erik just looked at me questionably.

"To get a drink." I declared. I needed one.

 

* * *

 

I took another swig of my drink, and looked up at the television, my interest piquing as I saw what was happening at the Expo. It scared me shitless.

"Dad." I muttered under my breath, eyes wide when I saw what was happening. Pepper. Happy. Rhodey. Natasha. Why am I here? I should be there, helping, keeping the people I care about and love safe. Someone slapped a hand on my shoulder, and I turned, my eyes wide with worry, and fear. I couldn't fight it, not when it came to my family. Thor frowned at me, along with Erik.

"Are you alright?" I nodded slowly, gulping down the rest of my drink.

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine. I just remembered I have a call I have to make. I'll see you guys later." I left a tip on the bar, and rushed out the door, locking up my car and then walked down the street, somewhere they wouldn't expect me to go. Somewhere secluded.

I whipped out my phone, and dialed Natasha's number, my gut knotting further and further the longer it took for her to pick up. Five rings, and there she was.

_"Who is this?"_

"Where's Dad? And Pepper? Are they okay, what's going on?" Natasha reassured me as soon as I spoke, keeping my calm.

_"They're fine. They're safe. Tony's handling the situation with Rhodes, they've got it under control."_ Okay, so he was in danger. But he wasn't dead. That's good. That's a good sign.

"Did it work? Did the reactor work?"

_"Tony's vitals are looking fantastic, your idea worked. He's better than ever."_ I let out the breath I'd been holding, leaning against the building I was near and slid to the ground, clutching the phone tightly. _"How are you? Are you okay?"_

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm...I'm fine." Natasha could hear it. I'm not okay. Not really.

_"Don't be afraid to call me. I won't tell anyone, I promise."_ I bit my lip, snivelling.

"Okay. Thank you, Natasha. For everything."

_"It's been a pleasure, as always. I'll see you soon, Ellie."_ I shut the phone, clutching it in my hand and curled up against the wall, pulling my knees up to my chest.

Dad was fine, so was Pepper, and Rhodey. Everyone was fine. No one was dead, except, hopefully, Whiplash. And Hammer. I fucking hate that guy.

"What are doing down there?" Adam. Of course it was Adam. I looked up at him, shrugging.

"Oh, you know. Solving the mysteries of life. Drinking my troubles away. Care to join me?"

"What, so you can corrupt me? Haven't you heard? You're a troublemaker, Ellie Stark. One of the biggest there is." I laughed. Adam smiled, holding out a hand. I accepted it, and let him pull me to my feet. I almost fell over, but Adam grabbed me around my waist, keeping me upright. I met his big brown eyes, and my knees went weak. All I knew was that I wanted him to kiss me, and never let me go.

And he did. He kissed me. He escorted me back to my motel room, and I kissed him again, losing myself in his touch. He knew I wanted to forget all about what was going on around us, and he helped me forget. At least for a little while.

 

* * *

 

Erik and Darcy were sitting at the table, Erik dropping something into his water. Thor and Jane were cooking together. And I have to say, it was one of the most adorable things I've seen in my life.

"Hey hot stuff. What took you so long?" I smirked at Darcy, who laughed as quietly as she could. I pulled up a chair, and Thor set a plate in front of Darcy and Erik, who both thanked him. Jane turned to me from the stove.

"Hungry, Ellie?" I shook my head.

"No, I ate before I got here." A smile appeared on my face when I thought about breakfast. I still couldn't shake Adam off of me. Darcy raised an eyebrow at me in turn, and so did Jane.

"Is there a reason why you're smiling like a teenage girl?" I shook my head. Darcy was still suspicious, but she knew it was girl talk reserved for later. "We're talking later. Period."

"Yeah, sure, whatever."

 

* * *

 

There was a knocking on the glass door. And when Thor turned, someone yelled, "Found you!" The rest of us turned. Darcy, Erik and Jane's jaws dropped. The mug Erik had shattered on the floor. I just shrugged.

"My friends!" Thor yelled, hugging the guy who had yelled, and all of them were laughing.

_“Shay?”_ A gorgeous blonde stepped out of the warrior’s shadows. She was wearing normal clothes, which is what caught my attention. Her hair was insanely curly, and she had these piercing silver eyes. I thought they were going to stab me just by looking at them. Jane went and hugged her as soon as she spotted her, and so did Darcy. Erik followed, and I stood there, watching the friends reunite.

"This is good! This is good." The prissy looking one said.

Erik muttered an "I don't believe it,” as he looked at the rest of the people. I was just waiting to see if they were psycho. And if they had some sweet ass weapons I could mess with.

The one that yelled turned to us, pardoning himself, and introduced him and the other three as Lady Sif and the Warriors Three. The men and the woman were still laughing.

"My friends." Thor slapped his hand on the Asian's shoulder, looking between them all. "I've never been happier to see anyone. But you should not have come." The big, one that yelled guy frowned. Now I realized that he looked like a dwarf, but wasn't actually short. Like a giant/dwarf man. Yeah. Giant Dwarf Man. Asian. Prince Douchey. The badass Lady Sif. And...Stone Cold. The blonde looked like a Stone Cold.

These people REALLY need to stop laughing.

"We're here to take you home." Prince Douchey said. Thor shook his head, his eyes growing sad.

"You...you know I can't go home. My father is...dead because of me. And I must remain in exile." Wait, what? Oh shit. Why didn't he say anything?

"Thor, your father still lives." Badass Lady Sif said.

Thor's sad expression dropped. He was _pissed_.

DUN DUN DUUUUUUUUUUUUUN.

 

* * *

 

I headed to the double doors with a frown, when I noticed a storm, right about where Thor had first shown up. The others followed me, and I frowned, meeting Adam's eyes as he stood on the roof.

"Was someone else coming?" Darcy asked. I grabbed my phone from my pocket, as it vibrated.

 

_Ellie, if there's any time for that suit in your trunk, it's now._

 

My eyes went wide. He did _not_ just suggest that. And now my phone was ringing. Great. I rolled my eyes, but accepted the call.

"What."

_"Did your father send this thing here? Has he built anything, have_ you _built anything?"_ I frowned, my brows furrowed. I started to head towards my car.

"No. I haven't made anything here, Coulson, I don't have the technology. I don't know about Dad, though. I don't think he has. He's been too busy trying to stop Whiplash, and developing the arc reactor. Why do you ask?"

_"Because there's something here, and I don't know what this thing is, but it's big."_ I bit my lip, as I stared at my trunk in frustration. _"Ellie, if you have a suit, and I know you do, we could really use a weapons expert right now. Please."_

But what about just being Ellie? What about me, what about what _I_ want? I could feel the eyes of the people I'd grown to be friends with staring at me. They didn't know. If I just sat back and let someone else handle things, maybe, just maybe, they would never have to know.

But then I thought about the people. About the innocent people, who could be hurt because Ellie Stark refused to put the suit on and step up to the plate. Because Ellie Stark was a coward. I groaned.

"Oh, _fuck_ it." I popped open the trunk, stood up in it, and pressed the button with my toe. The trunk became the same thing Dad had in his workshop, and it assembled, covering me from head to toe. And then I was jumping out of the trunk, getting the feel of it in all it's silver and black glory.

"Ellie?" I turned, looking over their faces. Erik's was lit up in realization. "I knew it." He muttered. Darcy was staring at me, muttering a "Woah." Jane was betrayed. Thor was just frowning at them all.

"You're Ellie Stark. You're Ellie fucking Stark!" I bit my lip, but dropped the face mask, and took off running before I started to fly. It was exhilarating, and terrifying, and making me laugh all at once. I see why Dad liked it so much.

This is the most fun I've ever had.


	4. Chapter 4

I headed straight for the cyborg...suit-type...thing, and shot my repulsors at it. I only ended up making myself fly backwards, and left a couple scorch marks across it. I huffed, and JARVIS started to criticize me.

_Miss Stark, now is not the time to test the suit. Might I suggest-_

"Shut up, J." I muttered, getting up from the ground and going after the thing again. Lady Sif caught my attention, though, stopping me mid-strike.

"You three keep it distracted. Girl of Metal, will you help me?" I hesitated, but flew back down, scooping her up.

"Need a ride, m'lady?" I set her down on the roof of a building that I knew would be a good spot, and flew back down, trying to get a read on the cyborg. I managed to get a read on the energy it was spurting out as it blasted the 7-Eleven. It was something I'd never seen before, it wasn't any form of technology found on Earth, It had to be from Thor's world. From _their_ world. I didn't think I could help.

And I really had to. When the badass Lady Sif tried to attack the cyborg from behind, it literally turned itself around her staff to face her. Sif jumped off the cyborg, and told the warriors to fall back. I ducked onto a roof, staring at it from above, trying to understand the machine.

"JARVS, can you tell me what the hell that thing is? BECAUSE I CAN'T TELL WHAT THAT FUCKING THING IS!"

 _I don't know either, Miss Stark. This technology isn't from here_.

I paused. Sighed. "And by here, you mean-"

_Not from this universe, miss._

Great. And now he's chasing Lady Sif with a laser-type-thing, I don't know how it's getting it's energy, or what the thing even _is._ Shit.

Things were being blown up. The Warriors Three were blasted into that diner I had just had breakfast in this morning. I was getting anxious.

"Guess we just have to wing it, huh, J? Well then, let's kick some cyborg-type-thing ass." I flew off the roof, waving around in the sky, trying to distract the cyborg.

"Yoo-hoo! Mister Cyborg Fire-Blasting Man! You want a piece of this?!" The thing turned, and shot a blast at me. I dodged it, shooting my repulsors as I did, hitting it right in the chest. But it just absorbed the energy. I laughed, waving my hands. "Want some more, big guy?" The thing approached. I smirked, turned, and flew towards the portal. "Well then come and get it!"

I managed to distract the thing long enough so that Goldilocks could get everyone out of there: Jane, Erik, Darcy, Stone Cold, Lady Sif and the Warriors Three. But then the thing went back, and everyone was moved to safety. Thor approached it, tossing a shield to the ground. I frowned.

"Goldilocks, what _are_ you doing?"

The thing started to power up, as Thor met it halfway. But then it stopped. It turned, as if to walk away-but then it turned right back around, and slapped Thor across the face. Jane went to go after him, kneeling by his head as he flew back. I glared at the thing, but landed on the ground standing between my friends and the cyborg. I held my arms out wide.

"Listen up, asshat: no one messes with Ellie Stark's friends! If you want to mess with Goldilocks, then you'll have to go through me first! And I warn you, it's gonna take a hell of a lot more than that!"

The cyborg just stood there. And then it turned, walking away. I frowned. But then my eyes went wide, and I turned-I spotted Thor and Jane immediately-but Thor wasn't moving. Jane was crying.

It was over. My golden-haired friend was...gone?

_Miss Stark-_

"Not now, J."

_But miss-_

"Dammit, JARVIS, not now!"

_Miss Stark, I'm getting an incredibly high energy reading coming from the site of the satellite crash._

Oh. Okay, maybe J was on to something. He always was. Good 'ol JARVIS. I grinned.

"Oh, J, you're the fucking _best_ , buddy."

I looked up, as the hammer flew through the sky. I laughed, pumping my fists in the air, and Erik lead Jane away from Thor. I turned, keeping my eyes on that golden guy, and watched, as he held up a hand, and the hammer flew right into his grasp. His attire appeared on him as if by magic. But it was science, but it was _both._ Oh, and lightning struck him when the hammer hit his hand, along with some thunder. No biggie.

The thing turned back around. It started to power up, but as soon as it did, Thor chucked his hammer at it. I grinned even further. Thor started up a storm, so I ran back with the others, while also making sure that Adam was gone. And he had been, I just completely forgot.

Everyone else besides Goldilocks stayed near the nerd's building. There was one explosion, and then Thor stopped the storm. He walked out of the cloud of dust, the thing crashed to the ground, along with a bunch of cars. My jaw dropped.

"JARVIS-"

_The suit is incapable of anything of that kind, Miss Stark. I'm afraid you'll have to, as you say, 'deal with it.'_

I pouted, keeping the headset on, but took off the suit. "J, you're a dream crusher."

_Yes. I know._

"So is this how you normally look?" Jane asked Thor, as he approached her. He smiled, when he stopped in front of her and Erik.

"More or less."

"It's a good look." Jane said, nodding in approval. I smirked at the look on her face. God, this girl was smitten with him. And I was smitten, too, for one hell of a bad boy.

Thor turned to Sif and the Warriors Three. "We must go to the Bifrost site. I would have words with my brother."

"Excuse me!" I groaned, as Coulson slammed a car door shut.

"Coulson, don't even get started, okay? I'll take care of everything. Let them go." Coulson pushed past me. Adam showed up behind me, grabbing a hold of my arm, and pulling me back, whispering in my ear hurriedly.

"He won't make Thor do anything. I explained everything to him." I nodded. If I had to, I'd stick up for Thor again. Coulson knew that.

"Donald, I don't think you've been completely honest with me." Coulson said. Thor got up in his face.

"Know this, son of Coul." I bit back a laugh. Adam's chest shook with his own laughter. "You and I fight for the same cause: the protection of this world. From this day forward, you can count on me as your ally, if-" He turned, and backed up to stand next to Jane, "you return the items you have taken from Jane."

"Stolen." Jane and I said it at the same time. Jane and I shared a look, and a smile. So she must not be completely pissed. That's good.

"Borrowed." Coulson corrected. I raised an eyebrow. Coulson paused. "Of course you can have your equipment back. You're going to need it to continue your research." I smiled even further.

"Would you like to see the bridge we spoke of?" I raised both my eyebrows, wiggling them as Jane made eye contact with me. But then she turned to Thor, and shrugged, smiling.

"Uh...sure." Thor grabbed her, pulling her to him. I raced after my suit, getting it on quickly. It would transform into a briefcase, if it wasn't near an assembling plate. And I must say. My suit is BADASS. I totally just kicked some Asgardian ass with it.

Dad is gonna be _so_ jealous.

 

* * *

 

I flew after them, heading to the portal. When I got there, Thor went to stand in the middle of the portal.

"Heimdall, open the Bifrost." He ordered. Jane stood to the side, and I landed next to her, lifting the face plate up. There was a long silence, with nothing happening. Thor frowned. "Heimdall?" He asked again. He turned, sharing a look with Jane. He turned back, staring at the sky. "Heimdall!" He called again. Still nothing. Lady Sif and the Warriors Three showed up, with Erik, Darcy, and Stone Cold. Thor approached them. "He doesn't answer." He announced.

"Then we are stranded." Asian said. I bit my lip, smirking.

“Yeah. Broken down. In the middle of nowhere.” I gasped, and turned to look at Stone Cold. She was grinning, giggling, and Jane rolled her eyes along with Darcy. “Sorry. Bad timing?”

“It’s never bad timing for the Doctor. Just bad landing.” We shared a smile. I held out a hand. “Ellie Stark.” She accepted my hand, and shook it firmly. She even felt cold, but that was probably due to her weight. She was skinny, a tiny little thing, but she was older, much older. She looked it, from the way her eyes seemed.

“Shay Alexander. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“I feel the same.” We dropped hands, and turned back to Thor, as he decided to yell at the sky again.

"Heimdall! If you can hear me, we need you now! Heimdall! We need you now! Heimdall!" Everyone was looking at the sky. I was checking out the portal, looking over everything, and trying to figure out as much as I could. There wasn't anything, for a few more minutes. And then a tornado-type portal started to descend from the sky. The Asgardians laughed in relief. My eyes went wide at the sight of it.

"Holy shit." I muttered. Thor laughed at me, lifting me up and squeezing me tightly. I couldn't help but smile, laughing with him. "See you later, buddy."

"You, Ellie Stark, are fit to be a true Asgardian warrior. You are, though, a warrior of Earth. And I look forward to fighting alongside you again someday." I nodded, patting him on the back.

"Me too, Goldilocks. Me too." He set me down, and then turned to Jane, pulling her close, and not in a friend way, either. Jane wants that Thunder God d soooo bad.

I backed away, holding out an elbow for Darcy. I watched closely, as they disappeared. Thor thought Shay would go with them, but she said she needed to stay here, on Earth, which surprised me. She looked like she belonged with them in Asgard, she looked like a true Goddess herself, and the aura she gave off made me think she was one of them, but...she acted like she was from here. I couldn’t put a finger on this girl. I kinda liked that about her.

"Alright, J, whataya got for me? Anything?" I sighed.

 _There's only so much I can read, Miss Stark. Have patience._ I rolled my eyes at him.

"You're Ellie. Fucking. Stark." I turned to Darcy, nodding slowly.

"Yes. Yes, I am." Darcy blinked at me. I broke out into a fit of laughter, and she laughed, too, hugging me tightly. "We were bff's before you found that out, right?"

"Oh, totally. This just makes me love you even more." I nodded. I turned to Jane, then. Darcy did too. "Janie?" Jane turned to us all, but locked eyes with me, and smiled, nodding.

"You're not as bad as I made you out to be, Ellie." I frowned.

"Oh? And what did you make me out to be, Jane?" She considered this, shoving her hands in her pockets and shrugging.

"A selfish, stuck-up rich girl who is also a genius." I puckered my lip, nodding.

"Yeah. Sounds about right. You just forgot one thing: _the_ biggest ego anyone will ever see. Besides my dad's, of course." Jane laughed.

"Of course." I smirked. Darcy and Shay laughed, while Erik chuckled at us. And then I turned to Erik, still completely confused as to how he knew.

"How'd you know?" He paused. His eyes looked as if he was flashing back to something.

"I knew you as a child. I met you once...you were with your mother." I frowned further. "You were with her in the library of the college I was teaching in at the time. It had to be just before she died, because I recognized your face as soon as I saw you with your father, when he revealed you to the public eye." I looked away, biting my lip. I knew why his face set me off, now. I recognized him as soon as I saw him, when we all got into this mess. "You asked me for help. You couldn't reach the book you wanted, it was a book on mythology."

"Gods. Norse gods." I nodded. "Yeah, I remember. Mom said she had to do something for work, and she wanted me to be distracted. So she took me to the library, because she knew my genius Stark-brain was starting to kick into gear." I frowned now, when I remembered why Mom was there. "Mom was meeting someone. I think..." My eyes went wide. "I think it was my dad." I paused, when I thought about that day. I frowned, and looked at Shay. “I remember seeing a goddess in there that reminded me of my mom. I wanted to know if I could find one that I could picture as my dad, until I actually met him.” Shay frowned at me. “The Goddess was the goddess of fidelity. Her name was Sigyn.” Her eyes went wide. Jane and Darcy both looked at her, but Erik looked like he was realizing something that he’d really known all along.

So was I.

 

* * *

 

The wind started to pick up again. I frowned, turning to the sky, along with everyone else.

"Jane?" Erik asked.

"JARVIS." I muttered, putting the face plate down. I looked over everything J could get, but frowned when it wasn't much. "You can't pick up anything good today, can you?"

_It's all from-_

"Yes, another world, I know. You can't blame a girl for trying, though, can you J?" JARVIS sighed.

_No, miss. Of course not._


	5. Chapter 5

The wind stopped, after a while. We stood there, though. Just watching the sky.

"He's gone." Jane muttered. Darcy paused, but went back to the van. So did Erik. I flew into the sky, heading back to town.

 

* * *

 

I stopped by my car, disassembled the armor, and stuck it in my trunk, keeping the headset on. I stuck the suitcase;  _ he he _ . Get it? Suitcase? Oh, I'm good. Anyway, I stuck the suitcase in the trunk of my precious car, and went into the motel, going up to my room and gathering all of my things. But just as I was about to walk out the door, Adam walked in. And he raised an eyebrow, when he saw my bag by the door.

"Going somewhere?" I squeezed past him, heading down to my car, carrying my duffel bag with me.

"Anywhere but here. I don't need the press on my ass, and running off to tell my precious father where I am. More importantly, what I've been doing." I popped open the trunk, and tossed my duffel in there as well, locking it up behind me. I turned to him then, wrapping my arms around his neck. "I can't stay here. I need to stay away."

"But you miss them. More than anything." I sighed, running my hands through my hair, turning away from him, pacing.

"Of course I do. Why wouldn't I? I just can't deal with them right now." I paused. "I don't know if I can deal with anyone I know right now."

Wait, what am I saying? I'm super into this guy, and I'm running away from him? Why? Oh, wait! Because I'm me, and I think every guy I meet is going to be a jackass, because all I'm ever surrounded by is jackasses. And I don't think any man could ever actually be into me, because I'm not the perfect girl. No one sees me as perfect. As far as anyone knows, I'm Ellie Stark, a partying daughter of a billionaire living without a single worry, or flaw. But I am not flawed. I am scarred, and broken, and hurt. And I don't know if I can fix this on my own.

I knew I needed help. I knew I should have been seeing a therapist, but...maybe he would do just fine.

I turned back to Adam, and grabbed his hands, putting them on my hips, and wrapped my arms around his neck, tangling my fingers in his hair.

"Come with me." Adam frowned. His eyes softened. I bit my lip, fighting back tears. "You've gotten me through everything that's happened the past few days. What you said to me, on my dad's birthday...it struck a chord." He brushed a tear from my cheek, pressing his lips to my forehead. "No, I'm not okay. I'll never be okay, not after that. I didn't want to admit it, but...I want to be taken care of, and I want that person to be you." He cradled my head, holding it to his chest. I could hear and feel his heartbeat. It wasn't slow and steady, like I expected. It was fast, uneven. Racing. We stood like that for a minute, with tears falling from my eyes, and him being silent. It made my own heart race. It made me scared.

"You've already got me, Ellie. Just say the word, and I'll follow you wherever you go." I let out a breath of relief, nodding, and pulled away enough to look him in the eyes.

"I want to go to New York." Adam smiled softly, brushing my hair from my face. "Not because I want to be close to my grandparents', but because I know that's where S.H.I.E.L.D.'s headquarters are. And it'll be easier for us to be together if you can get to work easier."

"That sounds perfect." He kissed my nose. I smiled, giggling. I screamed, though, when a car honked behind us. I turned, and there was Darcy, Erik, Shay and Jane. I bit my lip, fighting the heat that flooded my face, covering it up.

"Oh my God, Darcy'll never let me live this down." Adam sighed, wrapping an arm around me and tugging me along.

"Stop being dramatic, love. Darcy couldn't care less. Isn't that right, Darcy?"

"The cute British boy speaks the truth!" She jumped down out of the van, and skipped over to us, smiling at Adam politely and extending a hand to shake. "Darcy Lewis. You must be Ellie's boy toy, correct?" He chuckled, shaking her hand.

"Yes. I'm Agent Adam Quinn, of S.H.I.E.L.D." Darcy nodded. And then she turned to me, grabbing me by the shoulders.

"Ellie, grab this boy and run for the hills! Like, now! You have my number. You have Jane's number,  _ and _ you have Erik's number. Go on and get out of here, dammit! Go!" I held up my hands in surrender.

"Okay, okay, I'll go. Just promise me that you'll tell me if you find anything." Darcy nodded.

"Of course I will. No need to ask, sweetie, just go ahead and go. Be free. Be happy, Ellie, you deserve it." I grabbed her, squeezing her tightly. Her arms were pinned to her sides now, but I couldn't care less. I buried my face in her wild curls.

"Thank you, Darcy. For treating me like a normal human being, and for being my friend, for everything. Thank you." She patted my back as best as she could. "I'll call you when we get there."

"Okay. Have a safe trip. And no hand jobs while you're driving! That's dangerous business!" I laughed, nodding, and we shared a smile. I hugged Jane, and Erik as well. I wouldn't let Adam drive, but I waved at them, as we drove away.

Two Door Cinema Club. I should've known this band would give me feels next.

"I love this song." Adam muttered, turning it up. I smiled, taking his hand, and he kissed my knuckles. "It reminds me of you."

It reminded me of myself, too. Of my life. I finally got time. It took a few weeks, but I got it. My whole life, it's right before my eyes. I can take it, because this is what I want to do. I want to fall in love, I want to be able to be myself and not have to act a single second when I'm around Adam. I'm leaving the old Ellie behind, this is starting right before my eyes, and I can taste it. It's  _ my _ beginning.

My dad's journey began when he came back from Afghanistan. Mine begins by driving down this road, with this amazing guy beside me. I know what I want. And I don't want to be alone. I've known it the whole time, it just took me a little while to realize it. But now I know.


	6. Epilogue

I sighed, sitting on the edge of our bed, holding my head in my hands.

It's been a few months, almost a year since New Mexico. Erik and I were recruited by Fury. For what, I still have no idea. But it has something to do with Thor. I don't know how, but it does. Shay was recruited by Fury, too, and has been working with Natasha, Adam, and Clint. Then they found a frozen Captain America in the Arctic Circle, and now I have to help him adjust to life in the 21st century. Something's building. I don't know what's going to happen, but it's going to be something big _._ Something that would change our world...forever.

 

* * *

 

I haven't spoken to my dad since I left. Pepper's called me a couple times, and I've called her, but I haven't talked to her in about three weeks. My phone's sitting next to me. And this-what I'm thinking about-it's killing me. I just...I have to know.

So I picked up my phone. I dialed his number. For a minute, I think he might not pick up, that I can't ask him, but he picks up right before voicemail does. He sounds tired.

_ "Hello?" _ I hesitate. So he says it again.  _ "Hello?" _

"Hi." He's struck silent. I fiddle with the edge of my dress, biting my lip, waiting for him to say something. He doesn't. "Alright, don't talk. I will. Uh..." I paused, and then sighed. "This has been bugging me for months. I met this guy, in New Mexico. An older guy. He knew who I was, but he didn't say anything until I had to. He knew me, before you announced that I was your daughter. He said he recognized me from a library of a school he taught at. He saw me there with Mom." I paused. The tears were burning my eyes, but my voice didn't break. "I remember that. Mom was meeting someone. A man. Who, uh...who looked a lot like you." Silence. For almost five minutes, there was just silence. I let out a shaky breath, nodding. "So it was you. You knew what happened to Mom, even before it happened. You knew the entire time." Again, silence. I don't know why I didn't expect it in the first place. "I met Lady Sif, in New Mexico. And you're right. I  _ am _ a badass, and Mom  _ is  _ the greatest person I've ever known." I paused once more. My grip tightened on the phone. "Unlike you."

I snapped the phone shut, and opened up the window, chucking the phone out of it as far as I could. I shut it again after that, collapsing onto the bed, holding my face in my hands once again.

I didn't think I could be any angrier with him than I already was. But I was wrong.

 

* * *

 

_ I peeked around the bookcase, staring at my mom as she sat in front of some guy. He looked strange, but he didn't look mean. I didn't get too good of a look at him, though, because he was wearing a hat like Mom was. _

_ "Tony-" He slammed his hands on the table, running his hands over his face. Mom grabbed  one of his hands, holding it in hers, and running her thumb over his knuckles. "Please. I think I'm in trouble, and she needs someone there for her. I can't leave her alone. She hates to be alone, and I know she got that from you, because you've always hated being alone." _

_ "What the hell, Cece?  _ Eight years _. I haven't spoken to you in eight years, and now you show up, and you expect me to-" _

_ "Yes." The man frowned at her. _

_ "Why? Why me? Why not your parents', or Sara?" Mom shook her head. _

_ "They wouldn't understand her. She's a genius, Tony, she's the most brilliant child I've seen since you. She needs  _ you _. Please." Mom started crying. I knew she was crying, but she was hiding it from the man. "She needs to be safe. And the safest place I can think of for her is to be with you. So please. Promise me you'll take her, if something happens to me. Tony, please, promise me." The man got up, walking away from her. He was heading towards the exit. He was heading near me. He glanced over and he stopped in his tracks, when he saw me. I bit my lip, clutching the book in my arms tightly. He frowned, but knelt in front of me, pointing to it. _

_ "What are you reading?" I hesitated, but held out the book. He smiled. "Norse Gods, huh?" _

_ "I like Thor the most, but Loki is really fascinating." He nodded, flipping through it, and then handed it back to me, pointing at the page. I frowned at it, looking up at him as he stood back up. "Lady Sif?" _

_ "She's a badass." I smiled, giggling. He tucked a hair behind my ear. "Like you're gonna be. I can tell already, you're going to be the biggest badass there is." _

_ "You think so?" The man nodded. _

_ "I know so. Because that woman over there-" He pointed at Mom, "is your mother. And she is one of the greatest people I have ever had the pleasure of knowing." I smiled, nodding. _

_ "Yeah. My mom's pretty awesome. She takes care of bad guys, and puts them in jail, and they never bother people ever again." He smiled, sharing a look with my mom and he nodded. Then he turned back to me, looking me in the eye. _

_ "That's right, kiddo. And don't ever forget it." The man turned to the exit again, and he walked out, with a spring in his step. Mom came over, taking my hand, and leading me to the librarian. _

_ "Mommy, who was that?" I asked, watching as he walked out the doors. _

_ "The beginning of a whole new life for you, Ellie. A better life." _


End file.
